Health | Energy Guidance Complete

A Balanced Approach to Wellness!

Posts tagged ‘Health’

Body Care

That’s me starting a Libra Method spine-balancing treatment. Libra Method is relief for the back through gentle realignment of the spine.

This treatment was developed by my teacher, Daniele Gould, in Israel in the 1980s. I learned about Libra through my personal experiences with back pain. A severe back injury after the birth of one of my children led me to Daniele Gould. Her treatments not only restored my back to its normal functioning state, but they also inspired me to pursue the study of Libra.

The treatment has three stages:

Identifying the sites where the pain originates and realigning displaced bones through customized movements performed by patients, within the limits of their strength and ability, under the constant guiding touch of the Libraist.
Identifying and balancing the muscles that caused the misalignment (more complicated to explain).
Analyzing the causes of muscle failure (trauma, poor posture, misuse, or repetitive use), and when needed, teaching the patient how to avoid recurrence of the problem.

For now, this treatment is only available in Israel. One day, I hope it will be available throughout the world. Libra Method is a gentle, yet powerful holistic way for treating pain in the spine and in joints throughout the body.

EGC comment

If back or neck pain is caused by physical problems, then a physical treatment like Libra can remedy it. If the pain has additional causes such as stress or the joy of complaining, then no physical treatment can completely remedy the problem.

Category:

Healing

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The picture of perfection?

“Picture crookedness is life in reality. Crooked smiles, crooked teeth, crooked noses, on and on. No need for photoshopping. Real life—in its imperfecttion and individuality. Life lived in truth, not in denial. Life lived in gulps, not in narrow sips. Life experienced widely, largely, encompassingly!”… from Pond a Connected Existence.

There is no such thing as perfection (by humans), and aiming for perfection is time wasted and effort expended for naught. Perfection is the realm of spirit so people cannot reach it.

Understanding that perfection is unattainable is the first step towards true living. No one has to be perfect at anything. Doing one’s best—yes! Practicing and practicing so that one’s performance is very good –yes! Learning and studying and learning more so that one’s work is done well—yes! Applying oneself wholeheartedly—yes! Settling for mediocre—yes or no depending on the importance of the task. Settling for pretty good—yes or no depending on the importance of the results.

“Picture perfection elicits reactions that are not balanced. Picture perfection generates envy and self-doubt. Output perfection, input covetousness and pining. These inputs can lessen our opinions of ourselves. We think the other has more or is more or does more. We think that we have less or that we fall short. This negative sense of self is mistaken behavior. And it is continuously engineered.” … from Pond a Connected Existence.

Yes, engineered. People are manipulated into buying things because of manipulation of pictures. People are controlled by advertisements that promise perfect results. Ignoring these constant messages is not easy, but is doable when we understand the extent of manipulation and intended control.

The more we understand how much we are manipulated, the more we can be real—a bit crooked, but truly as intended.

Category:

Perfection--not!

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Music! It’s our natural entertainment!

Making music is basic. Basic need. Basic urge. Basic aptitude. Basic activity. Basic therapy. Making music heals, entertains, balances, and comforts. The ability to create music is in all people because all people require music to live in this world. Music is basic.

Playing an instrument, singing a song, clapping hands, snapping fingers, clicking, whistling, humming, tapping the feet, bringing sound out of varied items—no matter the tools used, what is created is music. Performing for others is not required when creating music. The most important audience is the music creator.

Children naturally sing and bring music into their world. They listen carefully to sounds, and notice the sounds that are emitted when they clang things together. Noise is not what they are making; they are making music! And they are learning and understanding when they create all the various sounds that children tend to make. As children are socialized, they are often chastised for the various cacophonous sounds they create, and they learn to limit their music creation. The loss of the ability to create natural music is a contributor to ants-in-the-pants behavior because the natural pull is to hear own-made sounds.

Recorded music is less nourishing than own-made music, even if the recorded music is by a virtuoso. Sitting in an audience when music is being made is more nourishing than listening to a recording alone. Sitting in an audience when a singer is lip-syncing to recorded music is more nourishing than sitting at home listening to the recording because “music” is created with the clapping, singing along, and so on. Listening to a recording and singing along is not as nourishing as singing without the recording, but it is nourishing. Listening without singing along but dancing, clapping, snapping, or doing other movements that relate to the music is nourishing.

As people age, they often leave off making music. Too busy. Too many “more important” things to do. Not so. People should make time to sing, play an instrument, hear live music performances, take part in live music performances (including religious services), and explore sounds.

(I want to dedicate this post to my good friend Lisa who has just taken up the bass guitar! Looking forward to tapping along—and dancing—to her bass rhythms.)

Category:

Music

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Live abundantly. How? Desire less!

The way to abundant living is through self-elevating more and complaining less. Complaining raises expectations; self-elevating raises satisfaction.

What does self-elevation mean? Raising oneself by being aware of one’s own abilities and strengths, knowing how to be focused, and knowing how to be appreciative.

Self-elevation requires three things:

Living according to intuition and understanding of oneself
Being aware of self-imposed stumbling blocks and purposefully removing them
Connecting to less

How do I live as I truly am?

You can create a life that is authentic to who you are by noticing how you feel when you do things that un-happy you. Not that you must be happy all the time. That’s not it—at all!

A person can be doing very difficult work, but the work doesn’t cause unhappiness. Only if the work goes against one’s values or against the good of one’s neighbors/community does the work cause unhappiness.

You live an un-unhappy life by cultivating awareness of others’ needs and understanding how their needs and yours are similar. You live an un-unhappy life by cultivating health and healthful living. You live an un-unhappy life by driving yourself to do the things that make you swell with pride and fulfillment.

How can I be aware of my self-imposed stumbling blocks

You build stumbling blocks throughout your life when you internalize negative thoughts from yourself and others. Removing them requires that you realize you are holding yourself back, that you plan action to do the things that are important to you, and that you follow through. Not easy, but doable.

How can I be satisfied with less?

Living with less is key to living abundantly. When you have less stuff, the stuff has more value. This statement does not mean that you have to sell your home and move into a mini-house. It means you can have stuff, but that you minimize it to the stuff you need and that you care for. Collections are fine—even broadening, but not everything needs to be collected and overdone.

When you see something you want to buy, consider whether or not you need it and whether or not is causes you to feel vitalized. These questions can apply to buying almost everything including food, clothes, and electronic equipment. The less you need, the more you appreciate.

Category:

Elevation

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Screen! My beloved screen!

If people looked at a garden as much as they look at their computer screen, they would be more alive. If people looked at the faces of other people as much as they look at the faces on their screen, they would be more enriched. If people looked at their living environment as much as they look at their screens, they would be more active.

The time spent with the smartphone screen, computer screen, TV screen, tablet screen is time spent. Sometimes wisely, sometimes not. Time that cannot be returned, that cannot be spent on more sustaining activities.

How to break free of the screen love affair!

For adults

Don’t turn on any screens in the morning, unless you need them for work, in which case, only turn on a screen right before you are going to use it (for work).
Turn off all screens two hours (or more) before bedtime.
In the middle of the day, do the same as above. Turn off screens unless you are using them for work. On your smartphone, close all unnecessary apps, especially the distracting ones. Set a time in the day for Facebook-type activities and don’t stay on longer than that set amount. Set a time in the day for handling social emails. Abandon computer and app games—they are time obliteraters. Set a time in the day for looking at online information that is important to you (like this blog 🙂 ) and stick to the schedule. Examine the online information you look at that is not sustaining and work towards reducing the time you spend viewing the non-sustaining information. If you use any type of reminder system, use it to remind yourself about these screen changes.

For children

If your child is under the age of 13 (12 and under, toddlers are not being discussed), you—the parent—have the authority to limit their screen time. Be authoritative and set limits that are realistic. A child who is under the age of 13 should not be viewing a screen for more than two hours in a day. Don’t use screens as a way to keep your child quiet. If you need your child to be quiet, be more creative in your solutions. Also, follow the guidelines above and be a good example.
If your child is 13 or older, you do have the authority to limit screen time, but the weight of your words is less. The best you can do is follow the guidelines above and be a good example and provide interesting alternatives to screen time: family hikes, family puzzle building, family bike rides, etc.

People don’t realize the extent to which screens are devouring their lives. If you can make the changes suggested above, you will enable more balance in your life. Best wishes for successful declawing of your screens!

Category:

Addiction to screens

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Addicted to screens? The first step is to acknowledge it.

(Rather than use the term LCD addiction, I’ll use a term that is becoming known—screen addiction.)

I do EGC work with a woman who suffers from screen addiction, but she is too embarrassed to admit it. She goes to sleep after she has checked her email, Facebook, website, and app score. When she awakens, she checks them all again. She eats breakfast with one hand handling her food and the other hand handling her smartphone. Before leaving the house for work, she spends an hour on her computer. During her breaks, she’s on her smartphone—not talking, but playing her favorite game. After work and running a few errands, she’s home watching TV, a movie on her computer, or playing her favorite computer game. And so her days go. She does get together with friends occasionally and does participate in an exercise class once a week, but even then, her mind often darts to the phone in her purse.

She thinks issues such as lack of challenge at work and lack of focus are her main issues, but they are not. Her main issue is lack of connection: too little connection with other people face to face, too little connection with nature and nature’s creatures, too little connection with her own capabilities and talents, and too little connection with seeking sustenance through intertwined endeavors (intertwined endeavors means participating in activities that elevate oneself spiritually and self-ly—a topic for another post).

Her addiction to screens is preventing her from connecting, and she doesn’t realize that the answer to her issues and to balance in her life start with turning away from the screens. Less time companioning with technology.

If you realize that you spend too much time looking at and interacting with a screen (other than for work purposes), acknowledge this fact. That’s the first step. The second step is different for each person, but regardless, movement away from screen addiction is possible. Focusing on connections is the best way to overcome addictive behaviors.

“Connection is the key to good health: connection to other people, connection to one’s environment, connection to environmental conditions, connection to other creatures, connection to oneself, and connection to spiritual presence. These connections bring all aspects of elevated, balanced, and purposeful living into a person’s reality. These connections are key for all people; no one is exempt.”

…from The Gift of Intuitive, Dedicated Comfort

Category:

Addiction to screens

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Kids and LCD addiction

In my EGC sessions with children (ages 10-13), I am seeing children addicted to their *LCD. I also see adults who spend way too much time on their computers and/or smartphones, but they are not being affected the same way as the children are.

I want to start with the boys, because they are the most worrisome to me. Children are supposed to have eyes that sparkle, and as they age the sparkle usually diminishes. I am seeing boys with hollow eyes that do not sparkle. The reason—because if they are not in the middle of a computer/app game, they are thinking about being in the middle of the computer/app game. Their minds are not present and their vision has gone elsewhere. Of course they can’t focus on schoolwork or teachers’ lessons; the game/app has taken over their attention. The only things that break this LCD focus are physical activity, making music (not just listening to it) and art, but most boys aren’t getting enough of these things.

As for girls, some girls get the hollow eyes affliction, but most have a different affliction—the eyes and neck affliction. Their eyes are constantly darting to check their communication programs and their necks are held incorrectly as they type and check messages. Strains the eyes and stresses the neck muscles. Boys can also have the eye and neck affliction.

Boys and girls should be socializing more in person and less through LCD screens. They should be moving and creating and moving more and experiencing life through all their senses.

Parents need to be aware that keeping their young children quiet through play on computers and smartphones can lead to problems when the children are a bit older. The children get LCD addicted, and it is hard to break the addiction.

* LCD is the abbreviation for liquid-crystal display. It is a flat panel display used on computer monitors, televisions, laptop and tablet screens, smartphones and mobile phones. (LCDs are also used on watches, clocks, instrument panels, and many other devices, but this post is not about these uses.)

Category:

Addiction to screens, Children

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Relief from LCD addiction

My friend tells me her 11-year-old son is addicted to his smartphone. I work with children who are addicted to their smartphones, computers, apps, computer games, etc. I know adults who are addicted as well. I am sort of addicted to my computer; I’ll admit it. I sit at the computer to receive words of wisdom from Spiritual Presence, and instead I check my Facebook page, my email, my blog stats, and so on.

I’m turning to Spiritual Presence now to ask what can be done. What can be done about the LCD addiction (the term that will be used to represent addictions to computers, smartphones, etc.)? (Reading an e-book doesn’t count in the LCD addiction definition.) Here is the information I am receiving:

The more time people spend in nature, the less time they will spend with the LCD.
The more time people spend taking part in face-to-face interactions, the less time they will spend with the LCD.
The more time people spend with animals, the less time they will spend with the LCD.
The more that is done for other nonhuman aspects of the world, the more the focus will be off the LCD.
The personal involvement in creative endeavors lessens the grip of the LCD. Creative endeavors includes making music, participating in athletic games, dancing in groups, bringing about artistic creations, actualizing family/friend gatherings, participating in traditional rituals—the list goes on and on. Creating materials to be viewed on the LCD do not count.

What to do:

Plan more outings in nature.
Get together with family and friends in person.
Go to the zoo (if it is a humane zoo) or a petting zoo.
Plant plants.
Find a cause that inspires you and volunteer to help it.
Participate in a group activity that invigorates you.
Find puzzles you like and put them together. If you don’t like puzzles, then learn how to cook an ethnic food that you like (that it not from your ethnicity).
Go for a walk and pick up trash in your neighborhood.
Help, whenever you can.
If you have children, include them in all these things.

Category:

Addiction to screens

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Traveling on airplanes—tips and explanations

In my last post “Airplane interactions”, imbalance problems caused by airplane travel are presented. In today’s post, I am presenting tips for lessening the damage and issues to think about. Some of the tips should be familiar to you if you have previously researched this topic.

Preparations before a flight

Food

If you eat fried foods as part of your regular diet, be sure not to eat anything fried for the two days preceding the flight and don’t eat fried food on the day of the flight.
If you eat sugared foods at most of your meals and in your snacks (foods containing sugar or foods that you add sugar to) and you will be traveling for more than five hours (travel to the airport + processing and wait at the airport + flight + and travel to destination), on the day of your flight eat half the amount of sugared foods.
If you eat sugared foods about twice a day and you will be traveling for more than nine hours, start limiting your sugar intake to once a day for two days before the flight. On the day of the flight, try not to eat any sugared foods.
If you eat well—balanced meals and controlled portions, but you sometimes binge or eat large portions of fried or sugared foods, take nutritious foods with you on the plane to help you resist snacking on the fare provided by the airline.

Hydration

If you drink more than two cups of coffee daily and you will be traveling for more than seven hours, start limiting your coffee intake to one cup a day for four days before the flight. If your flight departs early in the morning, wait to drink your cup of coffee on the plane. If your flight departs in the afternoon, drink your cup of coffee at the normal time you drink the first cup. If your flight departs at night, drink your cup of coffee 1 ½ hours before landing. The next day you can resume your regular coffee drinking habit unless you will be flying again within three days, in which case, you should limit to one cup of coffee a day until your next flight.
Drink water, and no other drinks, for 12 hours before the flight. This tip applies even to short flights. If you regularly drink coffee or caffeinated tea, limit them to one cup during the 12 hours before the flight.
Avoid carbonated beverages for 24 hours before your flight.

Information intake

Because of stress that usually accompanies flying, try to avoid reading or watching disturbing information for at least 24 hours before your flight.
Even if you have work to do on the flight, bring light reading or entertainment that you can turn to if you feel too stressed during the flight.

Preparations optional

These tips lead to well-being when flying.

The following supplements can be helpful if you already take them: Vitamin C, elderberry, and zinc. A small dose of these supplements six hours before a flight can boost your immune system.
Exercise before a flight is helpful as long as the exercise is not overdone.

Well-being on the flight

If your flight is longer than ½ hour and less than three hours, stand up and move a bit once every ½ hour.
If your flight is longer than three hours, your need for movement is much greater; however, if you sleep during the flight, then your need for movement is reduced. Aim to walk and stretch for several minutes between sleeps, movies, meals, etc. The more walking and stretching, the better.
Talk to the person sitting next to you, even if you have work to do. The connection on a plane is important for well-being.
Airplane food can be nutritious if you eat the nutritious offerings. Try to avoid the processed foods. Bring nutritious snacks with you.
If you drink only water on the flight, your body will be very appreciative. Avoid the carbonated beverages and sweetened juices. Limit alcoholic beverages to one.
Smile at the flight attendants and feel compassion for them. Their work is harder than it seems.

Layovers in airports

If your layover is longer than two hours, make sure to walk around to loosen your muscles and stretch your spine.
Avoid eating fried and sugared foods.

After the flight

Immediately after the flight, drink a cup of water.
Wait a day before resuming eating the foods discussed above, unless you have another flight within three days, in which case, wait until the day after the second flight.
Walk for at least 15 minutes to release tension in your body.

Category:

Airplane travel

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Airplane interactions

I just spent 14 hours on a plane. Plenty of time for reflection on airplane interactions.

The environment on an enclosed and unnatural airplane is interesting. It is exclusionary because it excludes those who cannot afford the entry price. It is dictatorial because all who enter know they must follow the rules set by the airline and the various ruling bodies that set guidelines for airplane behavior. It is grueling for the attendants because of the fragile state of many of the passengers.

Stress

Airplane travel is stressful. Stressful for all who cross the passenger entryway.

Parents of young children are stressed because they worry that the other passengers will be annoyed by their children, they worry about the state of their children during the flight, they worry about what awaits them on the other side of the flight (visit to relatives, return to home, move to new destination, etc.), and they worry about regular worries (finances, health, etc.).

Business travelers are stressed because of deadlines, expectations from the employer and from family members (if they live with family) or other close people, worry, tiredness, and so on.

Vacationers are stressed from the preparations before, anticipation of what’s to come, and other personal concerns.

People with major health concerns (real and imaginary) are stressed from thoughts of what could happen to them during the flight.

People who fear flying are stressed on top of normal stress.

Lack of movement

“People are meant to move—at all ages, no matter the occupation, no matter the location. Restricting movement is a mistake.” … from Pond a Connected Existence.

If a flight is longer than 30 minutes, then people are not moving enough. The longer the flight, the more the suffering from lack of movement.

Sleep confusion

The body requires a certain amount of sleep, and airplane travel can significantly disturb this requirement. If time zones are crossed, the body doesn’t know how to process the time differences. Flights that depart during sleeping hours confuse the body and guarantee irregular sleep.

Choices presented

Traveling on an airplane presents many choices that can cause imbalance. Sitting by a person who is unlike oneself can be unsettling. Eating food that is not usually consumed can cause digestive issues. Sitting still when the body calls to walk around is a mistaken choice (except when the fasten seatbelt sign is on). Going onto the plane with negative emotions can lead to disruptive behavior during the flight, digestive upset, and unbecoming behavior towards other passengers. Rudeness towards other passengers is a choice that can lead to discomfort physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Electronic device undutifully influencing

Before electronic devices were so proliferated, passengers had more interaction with one another. Parents were forced to provide entertainment to their children (with help from some airlines). Passengers were forced to take breaks from work, notice others, and think. The electronic devices add some positive aspects, but they mostly distract from connection to others.

The connections that are created on flights may seem irrelevant, but they are not. Short encounters are often enriching and intellectually stimulating in ways that electronically delivered information is not. Yes Wikipedia is intellectually filling, but it is not enriching in the way that connecting with a plane-ride companion is. Being forced to encounter others of different backgrounds and experiences in a shared environment of stress, imbalanced choice possibilities, and regulations develops people in ways that are enlarging and without possibility in normal living.

How to remain balanced when flying

Tips for maintaining balance, even when the flight was started from a state of imbalance, will be presented in the next blog post.

Category:

Airplane travel

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Learned satisfaction

I have spent the last three weeks in Los Angeles imparting Spiritual Presence awareness, connection, and nudging. The transfer of wisdom from Spiritual Presence was through individual sessions with people, an organized energy gathering, get-togethers with friends and relatives, and encounters with people on the plane, in restaurants, and by farmers’ market stalls. A welcome beginning for much more to come.

I have experienced EGC sessions with people who are needing the wisdom that Spiritual Presence can give, and they have been eye-opening, cathartic, and beyond expectation. The people receive specific ways to bring balance and clarity into their lives, and witnessing this process is gratifying and amazing for me. People need the same basic things in life, yet the ways to achieve them are varied and individualized. Connection to Spiritual Presence brings the actions and revised thinking required to live with purpose and satisfaction.

I have been living with a cousin of mine who challenges and expands my connection to understanding and wisdom. Our invigorating conversations have led me to the subject of book #6. It will explore and explain issues of the soul.

I have walked and walked and walked this fascinating city, which has led to further understanding about people, animals, and jumbled living. I have eaten the most wonderful produce purchased at neighborhood farmers’ markets and have mostly eaten vegan and raw foods. My body’s feeling good!

My connection to Spiritual Presence has developed during this time, and I am learning about well-being, forgiveness, and satisfaction. I am grateful to my cousin for introducing me to people who are open to the wisdom that flows through me. I am grateful for my family who supports my new-found purpose.

Heading back home soon with renewed Vitality!

Category:

Spiritual connection

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Clarification about the previous post: Unreleased energy leads to laziness

A friend of mine read the previous post and took issue with how judgmental the tone was about people who are “lazy”.

My friend is one of the least lazy people I know, but sometimes she doesn’t have the energy to train for a 10k run that she thinks she should do. The reasons she doesn’t have the energy to train are far from laziness. She doesn’t train for three reasons: 1) Her life is so full with work, family, volunteering in her community, and volunteering outside her immediate community that she isn’t as focused on the run as she would like to be. 2) Her expectations of herself are too unrealistic. 3) She has more compassion for others than she does for herself.

The last post wasn’t about laziness; it was about unreleased energy. Laziness is a byproduct of unreleased energy. People need to release energy. Not releasing energy leads to many negative and unbalancing effects: physical pains, emotional turmoil, depression, turning inward, turning away from others, frustration, laziness, and self-dislike. Taking breaks from work and physical activity is normal rejuvenative activity. It is not laziness.

Releasing energy is an important way for achieving balance of body, mind, and spirit. Releasing energy is good for each individual and is good for society.

Releasing energy through physical, intellectual, and social pursuits is nourishing, balancing, and necessary.

Energize!

Category:

Well-being

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Unreleased energy leads to laziness

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, you know that Spiritual Presence has been pushing us all to spend more time in nature. Being in nature connects us to elements in life that balance and elevate us at the spiritual level. Being in nature stimulates our intellect, restores our emotional well-being, and strengthens our physical and concentration abilities. Being in nature also provides an opportunity to breathe more deeply, breathe less restrictively (letting go of restraining emotions like the need to control our life), and breathe with wonder. Spiritual Presence has also been pushing us to be more physically active –sounds like the advice that most good doctors give. People are meant to move A LOT, and not releasing our energetic and frenetic selves leads to all sorts of problems. One of which is laziness. Laziness is much more negative than it seems. A definition of laziness is “inactivity resulting from a dislike of work” (from TheFreeDictionary). People are meant to work so disliking it is very unbalancing. Another definition is “apathy and inactivity”. These very negative states cause imbalance to the emotional and spiritual components of health and weakening of the physical component of health. Laziness is different from resting after a substantial output of energy. Taking breaks from work and physical activity is normal rejuvenative activity. Laziness simply wastes gifted talents and possible achievements. Releasing energy through physical, intellectual, and social pursuits is nourishing, balancing, and necessary. Energize!

Category:

Well-being

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Resistance to major change

Oh if life were so easy
I would be the person I was meant to be
I would take on challenges and handle them with ease
I would be open and funny and clever
I would look fabulous and sing on key
I would not be cranky or defensive
And I would not get upset over silly things.

But life isn’t easy
So I let myself off the hook
And often don’t try
And blame others
And wallow in misery
And even give up
Sometimes.

Perhaps there is a place where
I can find respite from my too-difficult me
Where my mind shuts up
And my gut finally stills
Where I let myself accept
And I let myself free
The person that I am truly meant to be.

Too many people let themselves sink too low. Rather than rejoice in their living, they choose their misery. Sometimes the cause is nutritional, sometimes the cause is hormonal, and sometimes the cause is just habit. When the reason is laziness or lack of appreciation, the way out is through communal service. When the reason is nutritional or hormonal, the way out is through intervention by a nutritionist, naturopath, doctor, or other healing specialist.

There are other causes as well for the spiral downwards, and often spiritual connection can aid the situation. Energy Guidance Complete is spiritual healing focused on balance and elevated living. Making changes in one’s focus can lead to changes in one’s self-centeredness. Finding guidance that is larger than oneself can loosen self-absorption. Accepting that the difficulties are just difficulties that can be handled releases self-indulgence.

Resistance to major change? Not worthy of true living. Life flows and the less we fight the flow, the more we can heal.

Category:

Focused living, Poetry

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Personal resistance: resisting manipulation through personal choices

I am currently visiting in the States. I am happy to be here and I am viewing all with a sense of newness and interest. There may be too many cars, but I focus on the trees. There may be too many sales, but I focus on the interesting designs of buildings and clever business presentations. I have been in several large supermarkets and department stores with food sections, and in them, I have lost my vitality. (Where I live, I shop in supermarkets and stores that aren’t so overwhelming.)

Too much to take in, too much to choose from.

As I walked down aisle after aisle of prepared foods and other products, I felt a rush of sadness for the bombardment on people by too many products, too many packages to read, too many eye-catching colors and names, too many decisions to be made. Too much time to be spent on relatively routine purchases. Too much pull to buy unnecessary things. Too much effort spent on trying to resist the call of the quick, the cheap, the treat, and the packaging. Manipulation through promises of happiness through tastiness, assuredness of nutritional needs met through ease of preparation.

The thing is—our bodies don’t want the easy stuff. They want the wholesome stuff. They want the foods that nourish, and if these foods are tasty, all the better. Wholesome, nutritious foods are so delicious when we savor them and let them weave their subtle magic on our palates.

The assignment: aim to exercise personal resistance by refusing to be swayed by the call of the pretty packages. Choose more fresh fruits and veggies. Try not to be drawn to the quick, cut-up fruits and veggies—buy the whole ones and wash and peel and cut them yourself. Take the extra few minutes needed to touch the whole fruits and veggies before you eat them. You might not have picked them, but at least you can prepare them for their good work nourishing your body. Aim to use whole products in a soup that you make or a casserole or a main dish. Making from scratch does not take much time if you don’t use too many ingredients and fancy techniques.

Personal resistance is not as small as it may seem. As it says in The Gift of Intuitive, Dedicated Comfort:

“It may seem that individual people have little effect on a large society, and many people believe that their actions are inconsequential. They are mistaken. Each act of kindness, each measure of understanding for one’s fellow, each occupational task performed with enthusiasm, each show of warmth, and each display of affection influences and continues the positive actions of others. The importance of the chain of connectedness must be realized. One link in the chain can create infinite effects. People must always remember that their actions matter.”

Category:

Focused living

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Try limits—when eating or drinking nutritionally bereft foods

Food is meant to be a pleasure and not a battle. We are meant to eat so that we can live. We are meant to eat nutritious foods so that we can live healthily.

We are meant to desire nourishing foods, and we can, if we reject processed and non-nutritious foods that suppress the desire for proper foods.

Moving beyond survival, the eating experience can be sad and disappointing or can be full of joy and laughter. Much depends on our attitude and on our desire to be well.

There are nutritionally bereft foods that people should not eat or drink. They include carbonated beverages, sugar, white flour, and hydrogenated oils. These foods should be limited to never, but unfortunately, they permeate the processed food industry. They should be limited as much as possible, and people who are addicted to them should try to cut back and realize that they are hurting their bodies.

Eating for the sake of keeping the body alive is not a part of life for most people living in modern society. Eating for the sake of the enjoyment of the food is modern society’s take on food. The enjoyment, not the life-giving aspect, is the focus. Food is for nourishment and for enjoyment and we should attempt to remember that, and not worship nor despise the thing that gives us life.

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Vegetable support: the foods that sustain

Many foods nourish us, but vegetables nourish, ground, and calm us. They provide the nutrients that enable us to move forward.

The importance of vegetables cannot be overstated. Our bodies need them and function less well without them. They are sources of happiness, creativity, expressiveness, achievement, satisfaction, and vitality. Eating vegetables doesn’t guarantee that a person will be satisfied with his or her life, but eating vegetables enables being capable of being satisfied. The more vegetables we eat, the more our bodies can handle.

Vegetables are usually viewed as members of one entire food group or are grouped by type of plant part eaten (leaves, roots, etc.) or by color. Actually, vegetables belong in three groups that are determined by the amounts that should be eaten. Here are the groups:

Beets, broccoli, cabbage (all types), cauliflower, purple bell peppers, romaine lettuce and other leafy greens, spinach, zucchini.
Butternut squash, carrots, pumpkin, watercress, yams, yellow summer squash.
Asparagus, bell peppers, brussel sprouts, celery, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, fennel, green beans, kohlrabi, mushrooms, okra, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, tomatoes, turnips, water chestnuts.

In this post, the amounts to be eaten are not being presented. Just know that the more, the merrier!

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Liquid relief

According to my post “How important is water?” (see January archive): “Water is the most important life-sustaining substance that we put in our bodies.” That post gives information about the timing of water drinking.

There are other liquids that nourish us, and we should drink them too. They are soup (thin soups that can be drunk), tea (green, red, black, oolong, white, jasmine, chai, and cardamom), beer (in non-addictive amounts), and drinks made from soybeans and brown rice. These liquids add nutrients and they add sensations that are different from water and different from solid food. These liquids do not replace water; they are in addition to.

These liquids, together with the influence from listening to music that is uplifting, are elements that nourish the body and the soul.

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Inventive body stuffers—processed foods

Processed foods challenge body processes (not all processed foods are challenging to the body, but the ones that are good for the body are in the minority). The foods being discussed here are the ones that contain the ingredients that are known to be harmful, but people eat them anyway.

These foods should be limited to never. Really!

Food is not the only damaging thing to people; emotional damage can be more harmful than eating toaster pastries. Nonetheless, the better the food we put into our bodies, the more chance of physical and emotional balance.

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Eating Common and Less Common Creatures

People eat a variety of fish and animals. What is accepted to eat depends on religious, regional, and appetite influences. A common fish that is eaten is halibut. A less common animal is rabbit. Both are eaten, but one is more accepted than the other.

The guideline for eating these two creatures is the same. They can be eaten once every three weeks. Both have nutritional value and both have responsibilities. Nutritional value for all who eat them (not just people) and responsibilities in nature.

We need to remember that life on earth is not just for our enjoyment and for our sustenance. All creatures have a place, and one small place is nourishing humans.

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A Balanced Approach to Wellness!

Posts tagged ‘Health’

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How do I live as I truly am?

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